A bowhead whale carcass, believed to have been attacked by a killer whale, was found by a hunter about 100 kilometres from Arctic Bay on Aug. 27.
He notified the Hunters and Trappers Organization (HTO), which in turn called the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) at around 4 p.m. Nobody was home.
The wildlife office in Iqaluit told the HTO to contact DFO on Monday.
An entire weekend was wasted while the hunters waited for a test they thought was needed to obtain permission to harvest the dead whale.
Weather then delayed a trip out to collect the sample parts that were to be sent to DFO.
More than a week passed -- long enough for the whale meat to spoil -- before collected samples were sent for testing to a Manitoba laboratory.
It turns out the hunters didn't need to send out the test results before carving up the meat.
Karen Ditz, a spokesperson for DFO, said hunters have the power to decide whether it is safe to harvest an animal found dead on the land.
It makes sense but why didn't the hunters know that?
When told by Nunavut News/North that it was not necessary to wait for approval prior to harvesting a dead animal, Arctic Bay HTO manager Collene Taqtu was taken by surprise.
Calls to inform other HTOs in the Baffin Region revealed they were also unaware.
Some news reports blamed DFO for the wasted meat.
That seems unfair, but DFO and the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board (NWMB) do have a responsibility to better inform hunters across the territory as to what they can and cannot do.
Ditz said the group only asked if the department would like test results -- not if they could harvest the animal -- when they contacted her on Aug. 30.
This may be true but regulatory agencies need to ask their own questions to determine the boundaries of each situation.
Frustration was expressed by more than one HTO concerning the lack of information provided to them by DFO and the NWMB. This is understandable.
Ditz said she expects her department to sit down with the wildlife board to discuss the bowhead fiasco.
Hopefully a renewed effort to communicate with Nunavut hunters will be made. At least then the loss of the bowhead won't have been a complete waste.
Inuvik parent Ruth Wright's decision to keep her children from advancing to the next school grade level is admirable.
She took an interest in how her two children -- a 10-year-old in Grade 5 and an eight-year-old in Grade 2 -- were developing their reading and math skills and found neither was at an acceptable level.
In the Northwest Territories, children are pushed forward to the next grade level no matter if they are ready for it or not.
The main reason for that, according to Beaufort Delta Education Council superintendent of schools James Anderson, is that students should stick with their peers.
It's common for one grade to have students with various learning levels, Anderson said, although they are instructed at their functional level.
This entire process is downright deceptive. It leads parents to believe their children are progressing along with other students. How are parents to know there is something wrong?
The students themselves are deceived into believing they are at the same level as their peers, whether or not they attend classes regularly, do homework or study. Students will quickly learn they can do whatever they want and still go on to the next grade.
A high school diploma is supposed to indicate that a student is ready for post-secondary studies, but with NWT students, that may not be the case.
School drop-out rates in the NWT have always been high. Bending the standards to create an illusion of education is not the right approach.
It's time for education professionals and parents in the NWT to realize that this system does not work.
In the south, students are held back if they do not demonstrate that they are ready to advance. Why should the Northern school system be any different?
If students at different levels must be in the same classroom, then each of them should be identified and educated according to their individual grade. That would make much more sense than saying so-and-so may only be able to read at a Grade 4 level, but he is a Grade 7 student.
All parents with school-age children in the Northwest Territories should take a vested interest in their child's education. Ruth Wright should be an example to all.
If your child is not ready for the next grade, don't let them move ahead. Being more attentive to their progress now will determine whether or not they succeed in the future.
Don't let them fail.
Editorial Comment
Lisa Scott
Kivalliq News
In June of this year, hamlet council in Rankin Inlet dreamed up the idea of the Hamlet Beautiful Contest, asking residents to spruce up their yards and try some landscaping.
The concept is great, but the delivery is wanting. Delays and a busy summer pushed the contest to the Labour Day weekend, giving the fall weather a chance to foil it, which it did.
Notices were tacked up around town, but the word obviously didn't get around. Coun. Robert Janes had only three yards to inspect before giving out the $500 first prize.
Despite problems with communication, council should be commended for trying to get rid of garbage and junk in the community.
They are right to worry about what memories visitors might share when they return south. Tourism thrives on cleanliness and beauty, not the detritus from old construction projects and dead cars that fill most yards here.
The problem doesn't stop with tourism either.
It poses a safety issue for children and animals and a health issue for everyone.
As I write, a bloody caribou leg lies outside my building, along with pop cans and other garbage. I watched a child bring a shard of glass to her mouth a couple of weeks ago.
There are garbage bins outside every house in Rankin Inlet. Why doesn't garbage find its way into these bins? It's an easy enough task. If you consume something, you are responsible for its waste.
That obviously isn't the view of the teenager I noticed the other day who threw her slushy cup over her shoulder onto the road.
Respect for the land
There seems to be a detachment of the people to their land. Respect for the land requires proper treatment of it. If Nunavummiut are so concerned about the future of their beautiful Arctic, it's time they took ownership of their houses, yards and communities.
I congratulate Gwen Thirwall Wiebe for winning the hamlet contest and the $500 cash prize. She put effort and thought into fixing up her yard. She and other residents should be proud of the clean and safe environment she has created.
The council says this is going to be an annual event from now on. Maybe it will force more residents to become accountable for the garbage they produce and for the landscape they live in.
Editorial Comment
Jason Unrau
Inuvik Drum
As Canada's health care woes dominate the headlines, the cost of delivering health and social services in the North remains a top concern for a territorial government treading in dangerous financial waters.
Maintain the same service with less seems to be the prime directive from the health czars in Yellowknife.
While our regional health and social services chief executive officer asserts that this scenario is possible, actually making it happen remains to be seen.
One problem, says our CEO, is retaining qualified and experienced health care workers.
It's one thing to lure them up here with promises of big salaries, but keeping them seems to be a problem according those in the know.
More trips, more cash
A shortfall in specialists and in some cases basic medical service in more remote communities means more trips south or to Yellowknife for Northern patients. It also means a skyrocketing tab for the GNWT.
While there is no quick-fix solution to this problem, perhaps offering health care professionals fresh from school the opportunity to work in the North for a fixed period, in exchange for paying their student loans, might provide some hope.
Attractive offer
At the very least, it takes seven or eight years to earn a degree in medicine, and, with the rising cost of education leaving many graduates in a financial hole, the prospect of earning a great salary and having student loans forgiven could be very attractive.
If the term of service was, say five years, chances are the territory will retain a significant number of those willing to do a "Northern tour."
For those who leave -- and surely numbers will equal or surpass the ones who stay -- there will be dozens of fresh graduates lining up to fill those spots. And a solid core of experienced ones to shepherd the rookies coming into the system.
Though this plan does not ensure health care professionals experienced in delivering care in the North at the outset, 10 or 15 years down the road it could very well provide for that solid base of experience all regional health authorities crave.
Preventative measures
As the old saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" may be better rephrased for the North as "10 cigarettes less a day...," there is nothing more compelling in these times of overflowing waiting rooms and soaring prescription drug prices as adhering to a healthy lifestyle.
It has been shown that aboriginal people are more prone to type II diabetes, a totally preventable disease.
Refined sugars found in most processed foods are the primary culprit here, not to mention fast food, which tends to wreak havoc in bodies not accustomed to dealing with such things.
The health department's campaign in the North to lead healthier lifestyles should be backed up by legislation banning food in the North that we know to cause type II diabetes amongst aboriginal people.
Some will say a ban such as this would be costly to enforce, besides the fact that processed foods tend to be the cheaper option.
However, if the GNWT really wants to be proactive in the health care arena, taking a closer look at this may be the order of the day to keep potential health problems of the future at bay.
Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum
Newspapers should strive to be accurate and fair.
Those are elements that are integral to the reputation of any media outlet.
Sensitivity is another attribute that newspapers occasionally struggle with, especially in small communities. Weighing news value against a person's right to privacy is something that had to be considered this week. After a brief deliberation, the answer was obvious, although difficult.
The chief in Nahanni Butte was charged with four crimes on Sept. 3. He has since resigned.
Realistically, the story couldn't be written without identifying the chief and the circumstances leading up to his resignation.
That is news.
There is no dilemma from a legal standpoint. When a person, other than a young offender, is charged with a crime, it's generally a matter of public record.
Nonetheless, those who are charged are usually not named by this newspaper. The names of those who are convicted of serious offences are sometimes published.
Exceptions are made -- as in the case of the Nahanni Butte chief -- when charges are laid against those who hold positions of public trust. A chief, a mayor, a police officer and school principals, for example, are commonly considered to be community leaders.
When they breach that public trust, or even when they are accused of it, they are in the spotlight.
That said, being charged does not mean that the individual is guilty. That is for the courts to determine.
The Drum will make every effort to follow this case to its conclusion.
What's expected of a chief is honesty, accountability, good judgment and foresight.
Taking on the title of chief doesn't make a person infallible, of course. However, that individual assumes greater responsibility than the average citizen. That cannot be denied.
What has happened in Nahanni Butte is a setback for the community. Yet there had already been talk of the divided nature of things in the Butte, population approximately 100, for much of the past year. The community is comprised of several families, but there is friction between a few of them.
If residents needed a chance to regroup and start fresh, they should seize this opportunity.
Hockey woes
Well, it's official. The NHL season has now hit the skids as of Wednesday. Multi-millionaire players and multi-millionaire owners are bickering over who gets what share of the pie.
Some owners insist they are actually losing money. The league wants a salary cap.
Fans, the very people whose support is needed for the game to survive, could be left out in the cold without a single NHL game to watch this winter.
With the uncompromising stances assumed by the team owners and players' union, and with ticket prices already out of reach for many middle class families, the average Canadian may penalize the NHL more than two minutes in the sin bin.
This love affair may be heading for a game misconduct or a lengthy suspension.
A study of bison sightings along Highway 3 was conducted during the past two summers. Incorrect information was printed in Yellowknifer Sept. 10.